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As in the Heart, So in the Earth: Reversing the Desertification of the Soul and the Soil

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Pierre Rabhi joins the ranks of great agro-ecologists such as Vandana Shiva, Wendell Barry, or Mansanobu Fukuoka. As an American journalist said on hearing of Rabhi, "An Arab ecologist? Thank God there's at least one!"

In this book, Rabhi tries a fictionalized approach, spinning a folk tale of modern Africa. Perhaps this will catch the world's imagination better than presentations of scientific evidence or documentation of alternative farming projects. A short quote illustrates the obvious dream:

"The village of Mafi fully deserved its reputation. Staring at this swath of greenery and life in the midst of a desert environment, I reflected how little we measure the miracles that can arise from generous intelligence and constructive will. Not only did this green island emanate a palpable sense of well-being, it ennobled the arid country around it. Much of its landscaping followed the principles of anti-erosion, and many young trees now grew there. This place was a message of hope carved in the very flesh of death. Now I understood better what was meant by the sickness of the earth and how it is possible for humans to transform themselves from destructive parasites to healers." (p. 127)

--author of The Gardens of Their Dreams: Desertification and Culture in World History

As in the Heart, So in the Earth: Reversing the Desertification of the Soul and the Soil
By Pierre Rabhi ISBN 1-59477-081-6 (Inner Traditions, 2006)

From the moment we were told that we were to have dominion over the Earth, we have done nothing but destroy it. Pierre Rabhi superbly shows how this is also mirrored in our souls. With all the promises made by Western society, we have yet to see a positive result when displacing indigenous cultures that have survived for millennia in harmony with Mother Earth.

Rahasya Poe, Lotus Guide Magazine and Author of "To Believe Or Not To Believe: The Social & Neurological Consequences of Belief Systems"

Pierre Rabhi's As In The Heart, So In The Earth: Reversing The Desertification Of The Soul And The Soil blends ecology with spirituality, explaining how the growing desertification of North Africa reflects the desolation claiming the hearts and souls of the Western world and how dead soil mirrors dead souls. A traditional African parable leads readers to ideas of planetary harmony and connections with the land, and comes from Rabhi's southern Algeria roots and involvement in agri-ecology with many world organizations.